GOLDEN, Colo. – Despite all the bad luck the MSU Denver men's basketball team has endured this season, you knew the Roadrunners would give Colorado School of Mines everything it wanted Saturday night.
 
And it did.
 
But Mines, ranked Nos. 12 and 15 in NCAA Division II, earned its 19^th consecutive victory nonetheless, 66-60.
 
Mines (20-3), which improved to 17-0 in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play, had scored at least 77 points in all of its other league games. And the 77 had come in another six-point win over the Roadrunners at the Auraria Event Center on Jan. 25.
 
MSU Denver was oh-so-close again, but suffered its 10^th loss by six points or less this season, including eight in league play. The Roadrunners (8-13 overall, 6-11 RMAC) have lost four straight games by a total of 12 points.
 
"I couldn't be more proud to be the head coach at (MSU Denver) than I am right now," Metropolitan State University of Denver coach Michael Bahl said. "I love this place and everything that comes with it. The future is bright, and I can't wait to get back to work on Monday with these young men! I love these players for the resiliency they are showing and the fight they are playing with."

Druce Asah (Tracy, Calif./Tracy) continued his long-range wizardry, following up his school-record-tying 9-for-14 performance from 3-point range on Friday with a 4-for-8 effort from distance on Saturday. He finished with a game-high 19 points, giving him a weekend average of 25.0 points while shooting 59.1 percent (13 of 22) from 3.
 
Kendall McIntosh (Oakley, Calif./Freedom) added nine points, 10 rebounds and two blocked shots, while Elijah Straughter (Fresno, Calif./Clovis North) had eight points and eight rebounds.
 
The Roadrunners finished the first half on a 9-2 run to take a 25-23 lead at the break and hung tough in the second half.
 
McIntosh's highlight-reel, one-handed, alley-oop dunk off a lob from Garrett Carter (Rialto, Calif./Etiwanda) with 6:42 left in the game pulled the Roadrunners within 48-47, but they couldn't quite get over the hump.
 
The Orediggers led 60-52 with one minute left before Asah drained another 3, and then Marcus Jefferson (Lewisville, Texas/Lewisville) connected from 3 with 40 seconds to play to make it 62-58.
 
Mines turned the ball over and Jaryn Taylor (Yucaipa, Calif./Yucaipa) was fouled and made two free throws with 22 seconds left to get MSU Denver within 62-60, but the Orediggers' Ben Sonnefeld hit two free throws with 16 seconds to play, and the Roadrunners were unable to score on their ensuing possession. Michael Glen tacked on two free throws with one second left for the game's final points.